Swaminarayan Akshardham is a huge temple complex located in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. It took 13 long years to build this temple. Spread over 23 acres in area, the temple is a tribute to Swaminarayan, his life, and his teachings which encompasses the BAPS philosophy.
Interesting facts about the Akshardham temple
>Akshardham temple is built of 6000 metric tons of pink sandstone, brought all the way from Rajasthan.
>The temple follows the Vedic architecture principles and there are no iron and steel structures used in the construction.
>To support the temple, stone beams are used, each 20 feet long and weigh 5 tons. These are used as a load bearing support throughout the temple.
>The Akshardham Mandir is at the epicenter of the complex and is 108 feet high, 131 feet wide, and 240 feet long. It features 97 carved pillars, 17 domes, 8 balconies, 220 stone beams, and 264 sculpted figures.
>The central chamber of the temple houses a 7 feet tall, gold-plated statue of Swaminarayan.
>The temple complex has exhibition halls, open green lawns, in-house theaters, etc.
>AARSH or Akshardham Centre for Applied Research in Social Harmony is an institute for Swaminarayan tradition and learning problem-solving skills through Hindu principles. The institute also promotes Sanskrit as a language and its philosophy.
More information about this institute here.
>The Akshardham temple witnessed a terror attack in the year 2002, in which 33 people were killed and 70 wounded. The 2 terrorists were shot on spot.
This temple is indeed a modern day architectural marvel and reminds us that the kingsley vision of huge mansion is still alive. You can also book a cab to visit Akshardham temple from your city either one way or roundtrip.
Helpful links-
Spending one day in Gandhinagar
5 remarkable places to visit from Gandhinagar